Wednesday, July 3, 2019
Marjorie Semenoff was an eternal optimist.
She was practically never angry or anxious in front of anyone. Despite the infrequent hardships that life threw her way, she always kept a smile on her face and a joke up her sleeve for when it was needed to help others. You would never, ever be able to tell from her small and gentle appearance, but grandma was an incredibly strong, resilient woman who saw some of the biggest changes this world has ever witnessed. She had a story about so many experiences she'd had and often left a person with a way to connect with the world that she was born into.
Grandma was the person who started my addiction with smoked oysters. I still hear her singsong "Oy-yoy-yoy-yoy-yoy!" every once in a while and will never forget her generosity or the hospitality she showed to the people she let into her home. I couldn't even begin to guess how many times she let me or my brother dig into her (very full!) freezer for ice cream or how many times she would offer someone a snack or something to take home.
She always wanted to beat the "age record" that her own grandma held. Grandma wanted to celebrate a few more birthdays and make it to 102 or more. Although she wasn't able to achieve that one goal, she achieved so many others. She may have passed away just before her 96th birthday but I know for certain that her memory and her optimism will live on with many of us for far, far longer than another six years.
I love you grandma.
